After widespread raves we decided to try the Costco birds and ended up with slightly undercooked birds on two occasions in Gaithersburg.

Crisp & Juicy and Pollo Rico are pretty good.

I love the Peruvian chicken places. Some are better than others but most are good.

PP with the Costco chicken illnesses - have you told them? That is scary if they are selling undercooked chickens. Hope they fix it.

Ugh - I was such a huge fan of the Costco bird - until I read PPs post. And I do get mine at Pentagon City most of the time. I mean I don't go there specifically for the bird, but I always pick one up when I'm there, b/c it is so good and so cheap, and it's two hassle-free dinners for our family. I'll have to find another go-to place now. Our local Safeway is OK, but I do love Pollo Rico and Crisp and Juicy as well.

the last few ones I have bought from Giant has been undercooked.

Balduccis in Old Town Alexandria.

crisp-n-juicy. I could bathe in the pink sauce!

I've always had good luck with the original style ones from Shopper's.

This seems like a great place to state that I have become ill from a food-borne pathogen due to eating Costo rotisserie -- TWICE. Once last month, and once in March. And yes, I am absolutely certain it was the COSTCO ROTISSERIE CHICKEN.

My best guess it that it was an undercooked part of the chicken (that I had chopped up to put in chix salad, so very hard to tell what's fully cooked at the point and what's not)

I bought these at the Pentagon city Costco.

I would strongly urge readers to avoid that location's rotisserie chicken unless and until the equipment is reconfigured, or, the staff is better trained in how to fully cook poultry before setting it out for sale.

Yes, all cheap poultry in the United States harbors Salmonella. Costco's cheap chicken isn't unique in that respect. Their problem, at that location, was not fully cooking the bird to completely kill the pathogen.

I don't like Whole Food's birds - even Giant is better. Costco's are really good. There's a little greek place in Vienna, Maggio's, that has really good rotisserie chicken.

Anonymous wrote:Costco. Don't laugh. It's really the best, AND it's only $5 for the whole bird.

Agreed!

Costco. Don't laugh. It's really the best, AND it's only $5 for the whole bird.

I do like the Peruvian chicken/pollo a la brasa that you can find all over the DC area (such as Pollo Rico, Chicken on the Run, Granja del Oro, etc...)

For just straight rotisserie I like Chicken Out.

Anonymous wrote:In your opinion, what supermarket, take out place, etc makes the best rotisserie bird? I'm not overly enthused about the one I've been getting from Whole Foods. looking for new ideas.

If you haven't had Pollo Rico - you haven't lived. You seriously need to go there right now. RIGHT NOW.

I don't have an answer for you, but if you love roast chicken, and it looks like you do, you owe it to yourself to get the dish at Palena Cafe at least once.

In your opinion, what supermarket, take out place, etc makes the best rotisserie bird? I'm not overly enthused about the one I've been getting from Whole Foods. looking for new ideas.